Planning Lawyer

eNL; England; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Hybrid work model — 2 days/month in‑ffi

Job summary

eNL is seeking a Senior Planning Lawyer to lead a specialist team in West Yorkshire, handling planning, highways and environmental matters. The role combines advisory work with drafting and negotiations across a varied caseload.

You will provide senior-level advice, mentor colleagues, and contribute to strategic decisions while maintaining a high-quality legal service within a local authority context. Hybrid working requires two days per month in the office.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive with substantial senior planning law experience.
• Recent experience in at least two additional areas such as highways, public rights of way, compulsory purchase or local government law.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and advocacy skills; ability to manage complex matters independently.

Responsibilities

• Advise on planning, environmental, highways and traffic matters, P ROW, Town and Village Greens, and CPOs.
• Draft and negotiate planning and highways agreements; advise on enforcement and legal challenges.
• Support planning inquiries and judicial reviews; undertake advocacy where required.

Skills

Planning law experience

Advocacy

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Education

Qualified solicitor/barrister/chartered legal executive

Job description

PLANNING LAWYER - HIGHWAYS & LITIGATION, 5+ YEARS EXPERIENCE, WEST YORKSHIRE/ HYBRID, up to £61,358 DOE - Excellent opportunity to take on a senior legal position within a local authority, advising on complex planning, highways and environmental matters while leading and developing a specialist legal team. JOB REF: 5865

The successful Senior Planning, Highways & Litigation Lawyer will advise on planning, environmental, highways and traffic matters, public rights of way, Town and Village Greens, and compulsory purchase orders. You will draft and negotiate planning and highways agreements, advise on enforcement and legal challenges, support planning inquiries and judicial reviews, and undertake advocacy where required. The role will also involve delivering legal training, mentoring colleagues and helping maintain a high quality legal service.

THE CANDIDATE:

The ideal candidate will be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive with substantial senior level planning law experience and recent experience in at least two additional areas, such as highways, public rights of way, compulsory purchase or local government law. You will have strong technical, drafting and negotiation skills, excellent communication and advocacy abilities, and the confidence to manage complex matters independently. Experience supervising or managing staff, alongside the ability to build stakeholder relationships, provide senior level advice and support positive change, is essential.

THE PACKAGE:

The role offers a competitive salary, generous annual leave, senior level responsibility and involvement in strategic legal matters, with the opportunity to lead and develop a specialist legal team while managing a varied and complex caseload across planning, highways, environmental and local government law. You will work on a hybrid basis, requiring just two days per month in the office.

At eNL we value diversity and inclusion. We want to attract people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any characteristics protected by law in the jurisdictions in which we operate.